Ridger



March 27, 1928.

W. L. PAUL RIDGER Filed June 9, 1922 Patentedl Mar. `27, 1928. e

l. -V l WILLIAM L.- PAUL, or BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoR To Dnnnna COMPANY, or'MoLINn, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.A

RIDGER.- E

Applieation filed June 9,

invention relates to implements'employed in turning thesoil and more particularly to that class utilized for the purpose of forming ridges tofenclose areas of land in orchards and vineyards to be flooded with water for-'the purpose of irrigation.

An object of my invention yisto utilize a double disk plow and convertit into a ridger by vremoving one of thedisks, reversing it to an inthrow position andsupporting it on the plow' frame in a simple and economical manner so that it vwill elfectively cooperate with thev remaining. disk to construct a perfect ridge for the desired purpose.

Referring to the drawingsin which similar numerals indicate identical parts- Figure` 1 is a plan view of my improved ridger. Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure lshowing thek ridger in operative posi-j tion, and Figure 3 isan enlarged rear elevation in part Vof Figure 2.

Thel main framey comprises a diagonal composite beam formed, preferably, of flat beams l and 2 spa-ced apart and parallel;

the beam 2 isbent at 3to extend forwardly parallel with the line of draft and with a landward frame beam .4 which, at its rear end, is rigidly connected to the diagonal beam; The forward ends of the beams 2 and 4: are bent .downwardly and braced firmly apart by an inverted arch brace bolted to both beams; a ybrace 6 is interposed between the beams 2 and 4: and is bolted rigidly thereto. v' Y.

The wheel systemfon which the ridger is carried includes a'land-wheel 8e, 'a front fur-v rowwheel 9 anda rear furrowwheel 10. A11 axlevllextends transversely of the lframe and is journaled in a bearing in a depending bracket 12 secured on the beam 4, the bearingvbeing sufficiently large to permit forward and rearward rocking movement of they axle and also a .rocking movement transversely of the frame; I secure the axlell from longitudinal movement by collars 13 andll on the axle on opposite sides respectively of the bracket'12. L, '.7 The landwa-rd portion of the axle 11 is bent downwardly and'terminates in a spindle Y 14 extending towardV the center of the frame and on which is supported the landwheel 8. The furrowward portion of the axle 11 is likewise bent downwardly and terminates in an outwardly extending spindle 16 on which is 'mounted a furrowwheel 9. Furrowwardly 1922. serial No. 567,160.

the axle is'supported in a bearing on avforl lwardly. extendingarm 18 which is pivotally e v mounted intermediate vits length, between the I lower end of a bracket 19, bolted to the beam 2, andthelowerend of a'radius arm 2O of a notched sector 2l which `is rigidly atj i tachedtothe bracket 19 and to av downwardf ly projecting extension 22 of a radius arm 23 `of a notched sector 24 secured on the beamy 2.-' A. forwardly extending lever 25 is mounted Von the pivot-'of the arm 18andlis` adjustably attached to the forward end a` bolt 26 projecting intoany one v'of a'seriesof tions onV the arm.18 to increaseor lessen holes 27"v which are provided the arm for i adJustment of the lever'2v5 to different posie its angular' relation therewith. It is readily apparent that by operation of the lever 25 the axle 11 can be rockedtransversely in' its bearing on the beam 4,-v relativelyto the frame to preserve the level of the'ridger.

Thelever25 is provided-with the usual type of latch `to engage sector 21.

Rigidly bolted betweenthe beams 2 and 4 are standards 28 `and V29; a plowingdiskVA with the notches in the 30 is mountedl on the standard'29. A sup! l j plemental frame consisting' of' afurrow-L wardly extending arm 31 i's'mounted on thev standard l28' and at its furrowward endis bentdown'wardly to `form asupport yfor a' disk 32which is mounted thereon forward-y ly of the vdisk 30rfand positioned-cooperate in a` direction ycontrary tothe operation'of the disk 30 so that thedisks are both inthrow, resulting'in the formation'of aridge beiV tweenthem as clearly shown in Figure 3; When the plow is operating to turn Athe furrows in the same'direction the disk 32i'is f i mountedon the standard 28,l as shown in:

dotted lines in Figure l, and is ,dismountedV therefrom and secured on the downwardly" extending lpart of the arm 31so thattheA plow willv 'operate as aridger. To add rigidity to the structure part ofthe supple- 1100' mental frame is a V-shaped brace secured to the arm 31, adjacent theidisk 32, the arms"I` 33 and 341' thereoffextending to the diagonalk beaml of the main framer to lv vhir'zh. they are bolted. A bracket@ composed of partsv 35A and 36 is'bolted tothe standard l29.'

The rearlfurrowwheelilO is supported on` an axle having vertical spindle 37 jour'- naled in a vertical bearing 38 and extending above the upper fend thereof. sleeve 39,

preferably integral with the bearing 38, extends horizontally landward and journaled .therein is an arm of a horizontally disposed crank arm of the axle 11 is a casting 44 having a portion extending rearwardly to which is pivotally attached a link ;V the link 45 is bent upwardly at its rea-r end and through aneye 46 therein the rod 43 extends and is rigidly and adjustably secured in place by nuts 47 and 48 on opposite sides respectively of the link 45. l

Mounted on the arch vbrace 5 is a forwardly extended bracket 49; a vertically disposed rocker arm 50 is supported, intermediate its length, on the bracket 49. The upper end of the rocker arm 50 is provided with an eye in which is hooked an end of a steering rod 51; the steering rod 51 extends rearwardly to hook engagement with a steering arm 52 rigidly attached to the upper end of the spindle 37. On the forward termination of the pivot, a coupling 53, and a similar coupling .54 is mounted in a similar manneron the beam 2. A draft bar is attached to the coupling 53 on a vertical pivot, and is provided withV a seriesof holes 56 intermediateits ends; a draft bar 57 is secured to thecou-v pling 54 in a similar manner and .extends diagonally tothe draft bar 55 which is composed of parallel flat bars b and c spaced apart and between which the draft bar 57 is adjustably held by a bolt 58 passed vthrough holes inV the draft bar 55 and anyV one of aseries of holes 59 in the draft bar 57. j

A rod 63 extends rearwardly, substantially parallel with the draft bar 55, and its rear end is bent horizontally to an approximate right angle and is journaled in a casting 64 secured on a vertical pivot on the lower end of the rocker arm'50. Below the arch brace 5 and extending between lthe frame beams 2 jand 4, and to whichv it is secured, is a shaft 65 on which is pivotallysupported a forwardly extending armv 66. The arm 66 is formed of a single flat bar bent upon itself and embraces the rocker arm 50 below thel pivotal support of the latter on the bracket 49. The rocker arm 50 is provided with a. pin 67 projecting from both sides of the vrocker arm and engaging with slots 68 in the arm 66 andlongitudinal thereof.

The ridger is raised by traction power of the land-wheel 15 by well known mechanism parts 69 rigidly attached to the hub ofthe landwheel 8; the second part 70 of the clutch is loosely mounted onl the spindle 14a and has, preferablyintegral therewith,

embracing the stub shaft 73 and is securedV thereto by a pin 7 Gywhich passes through the stub shaft and the end of the link 75 ,the upper end of the link 75 is pivotally attached to the rear end ofan arm 77 which is pivoted Vwhich-includes a clutch having one of its intermediate its length on the beam 2 and g on the same pivot isV supported a levery 78 secured to the forward end of the arm 77 f by a bolt/79 extending through the lever 78 and any one of a series of holes 80 Vin theV4 forward end of said arm; by supplyingav plurality of holes 80 it is possible to 'adjust'.V

the lever 78 to varying degrees of angularty relative to the arm 77 and the frame.

ly actuation of the lever 78 4the operatingv depth of the ridger is regulated.

A tripping lever 81 is pivotally supported,

intermediate its length, on the end Vof an arm .82 rigidly mounted on theraxle 11. On theY opposite side of the arm 82, and secured to the arm by the bolt which forms the pivot ofthe tripping lever 81,V is a strap 83 par.- allcl with said lever, and between the lower ends of the strap 83 and lever 81 isi'mount-V ed a roller 84 which is adapted to rest upon a dog 85 to hold the clutch out `of engagement. A relief spring 86 is vattachedto a lug 87 on the arm 82 adjacent vthe axle 1l, and extends to the archV brace .5to which it is connected. tripping lever 8l a rope 88 leads tothe tractor within convenient reach ofthe operator, whereby the tripping lever 81 can ber operated to bring into playn they mechanism just described to rock the axle 11 and raise the ridger bythe traction power ofthelandm wheel 8. f f

VIt will be noted that in the construction of 'my ridger the `parts have been'v so arranged as to present a low compact, ecient mechanism,.and, as clearly shown in Figure 2, with all the parts, liable to cause injury to low hanging branches of an orchard, below From the uppery end fof theV llt) the top level of the' frame, Vand where any part is above the level of the-frame it is fended by the steering rod 51.

The front and rear of the ridger are raised simultaneously, for when the Y clutch tripped into operation and the axle'11 rocks and raises the ridger, the rod 43, through its connection with the axle l1, is forced rearwardly, and as it is attached to the arm 42 i rockedraising the rear of the ridger, the

member 40 operating as a lever having its fulcrum in the sleeve 39. By this construction the parts just stated are well below the frame level and out of the way, and the wheel 10 is substantially in the longitudinal central plane of the ridger, and its mounting within the transverse limit of the frame'.

As previously stated the draft bars 55 and 57 are adjustably connected lfor the purpose of offsetting the ridger from they line of travel of the tractor, the series of holes in each bar providing for such adjustment, and its 'retention by the bolt 58. The draft bar 55 and the rod 63 are substantially par-L allel, consequently when the ridger is offset from the tractor, to operate close to theA trees, the links 60 and 6l are parallel withv the line of advance of the tractor and ridger,

` justment in the length of the rod, and byV lmeans of a set screw f the two parts 'are held but if a turn or change in the direction of travel of the tractor is made the linksGO and 61 swing with thepull of the tractor rock` rigidly together. v

In the mechanism herewith described, and illustrated in the drawings, I have shown a.

rid-ger formed from a gang disk plow, of a well known type, such as shown andy de scribed'in my application of even datelherewith, in which the disks are mounted on the frame in stepped relation one on each side of the longitudinal center of theplow, and nor-l mally operate'to turn the soil in one direci tion. In my invention the change is readily made from a gang plow to arridger, without decreasing the eciency of operation and with an economy of manufacture.

What I claim isl. In a gang plow, including a wheel-supported diagonal plow beam and two plowing disks, the combination therewith of an arm rigidly supported on the beam and eXtendu ing furrowwardly, braces .secured to said arm adjacent the outerv end thereof Aand to the beam, and means to secure one of said disks to the outerA end of the armvfurrow wardly of the other disk to operate toward Vthe other disk and in an opposite direction to the operation thereof.

2. In a gang plow, having ya wheel-supported Vframe including a diagonal plow .Y

beam and two plowing disks, the combination therewith of an arm-rigidly supported on said bea-m and extending urrowwardly, a

V-shaped brace having its apex secured to said arm adjacent the urrowward end thereof, the ends of'said brace bolted to saidbeam Y forward and rearward of the arm respecu` tively, one of said ydisksrmounted on said beam and the other disk mounted on the furrowward end of said arm, said disks being positioned to turn the soil toward each other.

WILLIAM L. PAUL. 

